Isn’t it going to cost a lot of money to build a new sports centre?

A:

No. A new sports centre with competition standard facilities offering broad provision should cost around £20m, depending on the exact specifications. If well designed and built, it could last at least 50 years. This offers better value for money than refurbishing River Park LC at a cost of £4m to £5m, to last another 10 years or so – at which point a new sports centre would be needed anyway. Furthermore, there is a one-off opportunity now to secure funding related to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy, which would reduce the cost to be borne by local institutions and taxpayers in Winchester. (For ideas on fundraising options, see: Sport facility fundraising.pdf)